If you’re not using it already, I strongly suggest that all small businesses should investigate using PPC advertising options such as Yahoo Search Marketing or Google AdWords. Ultimately, you have to figure out if it’s worth the investment, but the good thing is that you control your spending — which means you can experiment and test for a couple months to see if it’s right for you, and you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to try it out. (That said, if you don’t spend enough, your testing has no chance to succeed. So spend smartly, but don’t be too frugal with your daily budget, bids, etc.)

When it comes to AdWords, Google recently introduced a “Starter Edition” that’s designed specifically for new users that aren’t familiar with PPC advertising — people that might have heard it can be complicated and time-consuming to manage a PPC campaign, etc.

On the surface, the Starter Edition sounds like a good idea. But it is quite limited in what it offers, and may not provide the power and flexibility you need to really get your feet wet. Is the Standard Edition a better choice?

Lucky for all of us, Google has a handy chart that can help you figure out which one is the right one.